The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has been criticized heavily for favouring age over work experience and academic excellence in its quest for 21,313 teacher promotions.

Teachers who took to social media expressed shock by TSC promotion scoresheet which prefer teachers age to professional experience or academics.

In the scoresheet, the Commission has awarded upto 30 marks to teachers based on age alone.

Those aged 57 years and above will get 30 marks. Teachers aged 52 to 56 years will get 25 marks while those aged below 41 years have been awarded 10 marks.

This according to teachers is ridiculous especially because some teachers are old but lack experience cause they only secured employment recently.

On the other hand the Commission has given less consideration to teachers academic and professional certificates in the promotion jobs it advertised.

TSC has awarded a maximum of 3 out of 100 marks to various academic and professional certificates held by teachers.

The Commission has awarded 3 marks to PhD holders, 2 marks to Masters holders, 1 mark to Degree holders and zero marks to those with Diplomas sending a strong message of how valueless the certificates are to the Commission.

The TSC move to dismiss teachers academic certificates has irked many teachers who had joined colleges and universities with the hope of securing promotion.

In other sectors say Health or Engineering, professional are promoted based on their level of education.

Those who upgrade their skills through academics are considered prioritized because of their vast knowledge.

Previously the Commission indicated that teachers promotion will no longer be pegged on academic certificates but performance.

This is after it abandoned the Schemes of Service and adopted the Career Progression Guidelines (CPG) for teacher promotions.

TSC stated that teachers performance will be key in future promotions and will be informed by the Teacher Performance Appraisal and Development (TPAD), Performance Contracts (PCs), Teacher Professional Development (TPD) among other tools.

This week the Commission has declared 21,313 promotion vacancies for teachers to apply online.

The Commission in an advert has given teachers two weeks to apply for the slots that covers teachers from job group C1 to D4.

According to TSC the applications must be submitted by the midnight of Monday, 25th August 2025.

Interested candidates, who meet the required qualifications can submit their applications online through the TSC promotion portal.

In the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) 2025 – 2029 it signed with teachers unions, TSC pledged to promote teachers across all cadres at a cost of Sh1 Billion this financial year.

According to the promotion guidelines it released, teachers will also be considered based on year of service in their current grade.

Those who have served for at least seven years in same job group will be awarded 30 marks according to the scoresheet.

Six, five, four and three years will score 25, 20, 15 and 10 marks respectively according to the promotion scoresheet it released.

In addition a teacher must have served for at least three years in current job group for them to be considered except those in ASAL areas who will be promoted on affirmative action.

Click here to download TSC circular guide and scoresheet for promotion of teachers 2025-2026 (pdf)

Teachers who have served as administrators in acting capacity will be given big consideration if they produce evidence of acting.

Below is the scoresheet that TSC published in its 2025 – 2026 promotion guidelines and will be used in the upcoming promotion interviews.

1) ACADEMIC AND PROFFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

PhD – 3
Masters – 2
Degree – 1
Maximum 3 Marks
NOTE: Only one, highest qualification, to be awarded

2) TSC (TIMEC/CBC/CEMASTEA County trainers), KNEC (examiners/item developers), KICD (panelist/book evaluator)
Maximum 2 Marks

3) ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITY AND LENGTH OF STAY IN CURRENT GRADE

i)Responsibility
(Marks awarded for performance of administrative duties – This shall apply to those who are performing duties of Head o Deputy Head Teacher OR had earlier acted as such through deployment by the Commission or BOM)

Maximum 25 Marks

ii)Length of stay in current grade
(Marks awarded for length of stay in current grade)

Maximum 30 Marks

4) PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT

TPAD Rating
(Marks awarded for the average Marks in the last 3 years)

Maximum 10 Marks

5) AGE

Age of the teacher

Maximum 30 Marks

TOTAL MARKS 100

Click here to download TSC circular guide and scoresheet for promotion of teachers 2025-2026 (pdf)

The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) has been criticized heavily for favouring age over work experience and academic excellence in its quest for 21,313 teacher promotions.

Teachers who took to social media expressed shock by TSC promotion scoresheet which prefer teachers age to professional experience or academics.

In the scoresheet, the Commission has awarded upto 30 marks to teachers based on age alone.

Those aged 57 years and above will get 30 marks. Teachers aged 52 to 56 years will get 25 marks while those aged below 41 years have been awarded 10 marks.

This according to teachers is ridiculous especially because some teachers are old but lack experience cause they only secured employment recently.

On the other hand the Commission has given less consideration to teachers academic and professional certificates in the promotion jobs it advertised.

TSC has awarded a maximum of 3 out of 100 marks to various academic and professional certificates held by teachers.

The Commission has awarded 3 marks to PhD holders, 2 marks to Masters holders, 1 mark to Degree holders and zero marks to those with Diplomas sending a strong message of how valueless the certificates are to the Commission.

The TSC move to dismiss teachers academic certificates has irked many teachers who had joined colleges and universities with the hope of securing promotion.

In other sectors say Health or Engineering, professional are promoted based on their level of education.

Those who upgrade their skills through academics are considered prioritized because of their vast knowledge.

Previously the Commission indicated that teachers promotion will no longer be pegged on academic certificates but performance.

This is after it abandoned the Schemes of Service and adopted the Career Progression Guidelines (CPG) for teacher promotions.

TSC stated that teachers performance will be key in future promotions and will be informed by the Teacher Performance Appraisal and Development (TPAD), Performance Contracts (PCs), Teacher Professional Development (TPD) among other tools.

This week the Commission has declared 21,313 promotion vacancies for teachers to apply online.

The Commission in an advert has given teachers two weeks to apply for the slots that covers teachers from job group C1 to D4.

According to TSC the applications must be submitted by the midnight of Monday, 25th August 2025.

Interested candidates, who meet the required qualifications can submit their applications online through the TSC promotion portal.

In the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) 2025 – 2029 it signed with teachers unions, TSC pledged to promote teachers across all cadres at a cost of Sh1 Billion this financial year.

According to the promotion guidelines it released, teachers will also be considered based on year of service in their current grade.

Those who have served for at least seven years in same job group will be awarded 30 marks according to the scoresheet.

Six, five, four and three years will score 25, 20, 15 and 10 marks respectively according to the promotion scoresheet it released.

In addition a teacher must have served for at least three years in current job group for them to be considered except those in ASAL areas who will be promoted on affirmative action.

Click here to download TSC circular guide and scoresheet for promotion of teachers 2025-2026 (pdf)

Teachers who have served as administrators in acting capacity will be given big consideration if they produce evidence of acting.

Below is the scoresheet that TSC published in its 2025 – 2026 promotion guidelines and will be used in the upcoming promotion interviews.

1) ACADEMIC AND PROFFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

PhD – 3
Masters – 2
Degree – 1
Maximum 3 Marks
NOTE: Only one, highest qualification, to be awarded

2) TSC (TIMEC/CBC/CEMASTEA County trainers), KNEC (examiners/item developers), KICD (panelist/book evaluator)
Maximum 2 Marks

3) ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITY AND LENGTH OF STAY IN CURRENT GRADE

i)Responsibility
(Marks awarded for performance of administrative duties – This shall apply to those who are performing duties of Head o Deputy Head Teacher OR had earlier acted as such through deployment by the Commission or BOM)

Maximum 25 Marks

ii)Length of stay in current grade
(Marks awarded for length of stay in current grade)

Maximum 30 Marks

4) PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT

TPAD Rating
(Marks awarded for the average Marks in the last 3 years)

Maximum 10 Marks

5) AGE

Age of the teacher

Maximum 30 Marks

TOTAL MARKS 100

Click here to download TSC circular guide and scoresheet for promotion of teachers 2025-2026 (pdf)